Cockpit Conversation
by jbn42
Summary: A quick conversation during TROS. This is from the same universe as Ideas Are Like Stars.


**Author's Note: FIRST OFF – here be spoilers. IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN RISE OF SKYWALKER, THIS WILL CLUE YOU INTO SOME PLOT POINTS THERE. Come back later if you haven't seen it and don't want any clues. I'll keep this warning on any new fics until TROS has been out 10 days. This is related to the Ideas are Like Stars story.**

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**This is still me working through my feelings on TROS. This is a lead up to my one shot that shares a name with this series. It's unrelated to any of my other WIPs. Series title borrowed from a Mary-Chapin Carpenter song. I've only seen this once – I think I got the sequence right – apologies if I kriffed it up.**

**Disclaimer per usual – I do not own Star Wars or any aspect of the SW universe; just a fan with an idea. No profit here, just fun for me.**

They're on their way to Kijimi when Finn says he needs a break and heads to the back, droids trailing after him. Poe looks over at Rey. "You all right?"

She looks over at him sharply, ready for another fight. He holds his hands up. "Hey, Rey, I am just checking on you about what just happened. I'm not all right. I just wanted to know how you are. That's all. I just am asking if you're all right enough for this. No underlying meaning."

She sighs. "Yes. I'm as fine as I can be." They both go quiet then, looking out the windows of the cockpit. After a few minutes, she says, "I'm sorry I yelled at you back at the base. Once Finn calmed down, he told me what happened. I know you didn't have any choice."

"I'm sorry too. I know what you're trying to learn is important." He runs a hand through his hair. "I want to understand it, Rey. I'm just way out of my depth. It's true that we need you, too, though. But I should listen more. I was pissed off, because I know that Boolio, our source, is very likely dead. I was upset and I took it out on you." He looks out the window. "I'm so damned tired of losing."

Rey hates the defeat she hears in Poe's voice, and she wants to distract him. "So, another droid."

"Another droid." He nods.

She looks over at him. "One that speaks basic."

"At least some words. He's pretty adorable." He frowns. "Someone hurt him. I am not OK with that."

"Me neither. Who hurts a droid?" She shakes her head.

"Well, you and I both know that there are people in this galaxy who see droids just as property." He glares out the window. "I'd like to get my hands on that piece of bantha fodder. That little guy is terrified of us. It takes a lot to make a droid that scared."

She shakes her head. "Have you ever seen one that bad?"

"Unfortunately, yes." He looks at her. "A guy at the Academy treated his R2 unit so badly that the R2 unit literally ran away from him."

"Did it escape?" She cocks her head at him.

He smirks. "You bet it did. I removed its restraining bolt and shipped it, him really, to my dad. He still works at my dad's koyo melon farm, happy as a wookiee with a bowcaster."

Rey laughs softly, and Poe eyes her closely. "What?"

He shakes his head. "You should just do that more often."

"I should do what more often?" She's confused now.

She then goes warm all over when he says, "Laugh. You should laugh more often."

"I know. It's just hard to find things to laugh about." His face falls, and they go quiet again, but then she asks, "You were going to shoot that sand worm thing, weren't you?"

He snorts. "Maybe."

"Really? Just maybe?" She smiles at him.

Rolling his eyes, he nods. "OK, yes. Yes, I was going to shoot the worm. Finn stopped me."

"Good." She looks at him. "Why were you so worried?"

"What do you mean? It might've attacked you." It's apparently his turn to be confused.

"I suppose." She shakes her head, looking away. "And I know you need your Jedi."

"No." Poe reaches out and grabs her hand. "Hey. No. Look at me." After a moment, she does, and she is stunned to see the almost agonized expression on his face. "We need our Rey. You are our only you. The Jedi part is great and all, but it's you we need. Don't ever doubt that. You are what matters. Not your lightsaber or your ability to move rocks with your brain." He squeezes her hand. "Although I'll admit it, that rock-moving thing was helpful in the past."

She laughs again, but she knows it's a wet laugh. She blinks back the tears that threaten. Eventually, she replies softly, "Thank you." She squeezes his hand back.

A moment later, the alarm sounds that they're about to leave light speed at Kijimi. He drops her hand and clears his throat as Finn rejoins them. "So, you all should know, I didn't leave Kijimi on the best terms."

"No! Surely not!" Finn cries in mock outrage.

Chewie laughs while Rey cocks an eyebrow at him. "What, you? We never would have guessed."

He rolls his eyes, clearly aware that she's teasing him. "Just take us in, Jedi. Just take us in."


End file.
